Last Waltz
by trustmyrage
Summary: Loki has returned to Midgard with Jane Foster shortly after the war with the Dark Elves, intent on starting a new life with her. But a past foe arrives, threatening to take away the one person left who truly loves him. Completely disregards the ending of TDW, told in Loki and Jane's perspective.
1. Chapter 1

These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triump die, like fire and powder

Which, as they kiss, consume

- William Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_

* * *

**Loki's POV**

_**Puente Antiguo, New Mexico**_

Nine months to the day since Malekith's forces had invaded Asgard, Jane Foster had been safely returned to the realm where she belonged. The All-Father considered that it was too dangerous for her to stay in Asgard, and had instructed Thor to return her to her home.

Except it wasn't Thor who went with her.

It was Loki.

During the duration of the war, the God of Mischief had found himself drawn to the fiery, intelligent mortal woman. He'd only made such emotions – affection? Fondness? Love? – known when Malekith had tried to kill the astrophysicist. At first Thor had been furious, but in the end he'd relented.

This was mostly because the astrophysicist had voiced her preference for the trickster, and Thor's sense of _honor _told him that to keep two people from being together was unjust.

Loki's return to Midgard was surrounded by a series of "public" appearances, which he ignored for the most part. He had no desire to be placed under such scrutiny; he was, for all intensive purposes, a weary warrior who wanted nothing more but to spend time with the woman he held much affection for.

Now, however, what sleep he had in mind was interrupted by the soft creaking of the door, followed by the light footsteps that, he knew, was Jane trying to slip out unnoticed. With bleary eyes, Loki slowly stood, following her out of the bedroom they'd taken to sharing (something that had made the intern choke over her breakfast).

"This is the third time you've checked your papers, Jane Foster. Do not make me tie you to the bed to keep you from doing so again; you seem to have an aversion to that."

* * *

**Jane's POV**

The astrophysicist pivoted swiftly on her heels in nothing flat, the merest sound of his familiar, silken voice quickly ridding herself of the ability to breathe momentarily — a little too taken aback, and startled like she always was. Her hand instinctively flew atop her chest, fingers grasping the fabric of her shirt, calming the frantic thundering of her heart while her rigid stance immediately melted, and thankfully, faded away the exact instance her warm, caramel orbs met those keen, piercing evergreen ones.

"Loki," the astrophysicist murmured softly, sighing in relief as she shifted on her foot, loosening her hold on the plaid top she'd worn all throughout the day. The God of Mischief crossed his arms impatiently as his gaze focused on her small frame, simply prompting her for an answer with regards to his latter… 'proposal'. The scene wasn't entirely new to Jane, nonetheless, and in fact, it happened many times before... Ever since they'd….

Random images of the events that had conspired roughly nine months ago flashed rapidly through her mind — the Dark Elves, the Accursed, the God of Thunder, the Trickster, and…her. The little 'mortal' whose life was nearly taken during the battle in Svartalfheim, only to be rescued by a certain someone that had once claimed to bore hatred over her. "You are safe," the God of Mischief whispered, just as he crouched on top of her, deflecting any pursuers that headed their way.

Everything started from there and then, causing her whole world to alter in every plausible extremes, as though the Fates had changed her path and had directed her to a new course. And it had taken them what, exactly? A never- ending fight? An all- too consuming kiss — to erase everything she'd known about the God of Mischief and solely see him as what he truly was? "You're not a monster, Loki," she'd told him, after finally uttering those three words that meant the entire nine realms for her.

"Well?" the God of Mischief cleared his throat, jerking her off of her train of thought as her attention abruptly snapped back to him. Jane's brows furrowed slightly, remembering his previous statement of having her… She pursed her lips in response, raising her chin heavenwards to level her stare with his whilst she spoke, "No. No. And no. There's no freakin' way that I'd —". The rest of her sentence had been cut off when Loki bent on his knees and fluidly scooped her in his arms, ignoring the astrophysicist's protests and disregarding her sheer disapproval.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This story is a direct result of one of my roleplay threads with a Jane Foster roleplayer (thatwasfornewyork); she wrote the parts in Jane's point of view, hence the possible difference in writing styles. Each chapter is a result of our interactions, and will be updated as soon as a reply is published. Feedback is always welcome, and I hope you enjoy reading this. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This chapter disregards several key events from TDW, having been written before the film was released.

* * *

**Loki's POV**

The slew of "no's" that came from her were feeble, and Loki knew she was lying. Nearly. Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, he took her in his arms and carried her back into the room, careful not to bump her head on the door frame or hit her feet on the headboard as he lay her back down.

"You have your responsibilities. I have mine. The circles under your eyes do little to ease what discomfort I have, Jane. _Rest_."

Of course, he knew she'd eventually do something to escape him, and he'd have to chase her again. It was a never ending game of theirs: the astrophysicist trying to outwit a god. Then again, she'd slapped him during their first meeting, so outwitting him proved to be an easier task. Not everyone could have done what she did and not lose a hand, and yet he did…nothing. Even Thor had asked him why he hadn't punished Jane – not that the thunderer had wanted him to at the time – but Loki had refused to answer.

Honestly, he couldn't explain it either.

He set himself on the foot of the bed, crossing his arms and shaking a lock of his scraggly hair away from his face. He stayed there, like one of the All-Father's ravens, determined not to pry his eyes away from her. It wasn't difficult to; he'd done nothing but watch over her since she'd arrived in Asgard, and such an act doubled when the battled commenced.

Being the fool he was, Thor had insisted that Jane be kept close to him – and Loki, indirectly – as they fought the Dark Elves. She then proved to be the perfect distraction for Malekith, something that had left the God of Mischief visibly shivering and loathing himself for even doing it. But it had proven to be effective, as this gave him the chance to face with the leader and, with the help of Thor, take him down.

With one threat taken care of, he knew it was only a matter of time before a new one arose. But for now, he just wanted to immerse himself in what peace he'd helped create, and perhaps even get to experience some sense of normalcy.

"And no, I am not moving from this spot until you sleep. If my brother hasn't informed you yet, I can be quite stubborn."

* * *

**Jane's POV**

The God of Mischief sat perched and unmoving on the foot of her bed, his eyes — a strange palette of glimmering emerald and scintillating jades — fixing themselves upon her, showing absolutely no signs of letting the astrophysicist slip out of his sight once more, as she had a couple of instances beforehand. Sooner or later, however, she knew that there was no way she'd be able to sleep without trying to 'escape' again for the umpteenth time. Only to be likewise 'captured', no less.

It had been quite a routine for them both nowadays, whenever Jane would be insisting on staying up all night to work on her so- called 'Foster Theory'. She'd end up retreating to her room, nevertheless — either being swept by the God of Mischief off of her feet (literally and figuratively, dare she say), or by voluntarily doing so, when Loki would purposefully shut down her computer system and hide most of her paperwork.

With a groan, the astrophysicist rolled over, burying her face on the feathered pillow that Loki considered was his, inhaling his exquisite scent greedily before glancing up to meet his rather steadfast gaze on her own. "How can I sleep when you're there?" Jane asked, patting on the empty space beside herself when she did. He tilted his head sideways as if to contemplate what she had just said, then finally gave in — crawling on top of the mattress to position himself beside the astrophysicist.

Immediately, his arms circled around her waist, ensnaring her in his firm hold — another tactic of his (which had proved to be fruitful twenty- four seven) to keep the astrophysicist from attempting to flee. "This is called 'cheating'!," Jane exclaimed with a light laugh, reaching over to gingerly brush her fingertips against the pale skin of his cheek. The God of Mischief's brows quirked upwards minutely, although he had not spoken a word at all.

"Oh. Come. On. I'm getting the silent treatment, aren't I?," the astrophysicist mumbled, rolling her eyes heavenwards while shuffling a tad bit closer to him. When he hadn't answered (nor shifted, even), she decided to take it out on her own — leaning towards him to press a chaste kiss on his mouth. At first, he had not budged, but then, she felt him smile against her lips, causing her to pull away with a chuckle. "Am I forgiven?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Loki's POV**

She'd managed to talk him into sleeping beside her again, and he did so almost hesitantly. It wasn't because he didn't want to; it was because he was wondering if there was some devious little plan she had in mind. Sliding his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer to him, a small smile forming on his mouth as she declared his move 'cheating'. Opting not to answer, he looked at her curiously as she brushed her fingers on his cheek, and then smiled again when she kissed him.

He shook his head at her question, though his eyes glittered with the familiar mischievousness that usually lingered there before his fall off the Bifrost. Several close acquaintances – the thunderer included – had grudgingly observed that the mischievous aspect of the trickster had returned, and they knew who was behind it.

Still looking at her, he closed his eyes once more, though his arms still held her close to him, tightening every time she tried pulling away from him. Once or twice he let out a soft "No," making him sound like a little boy who refused to let go of his precious bauble. It was only when he felt the heat of the sun hit his face did he arise from the depths of the dreamworld and back to reality.

Puente Antiguo wasn't like the large cities he'd been to; even though the sun was shining, the only noises came from the deep rumble of the trucks that drove by the dome-like structure that he now called home. Jane was sleeping beside him, and he resisted the urge to tuck a stray strand of hair away from her face, lest she wake from her deep slumber. Such a state was broken when the door opened, revealing the astrophysicist's associates: the intern and the scientist.

The latter frowned upon seeing Loki – the man hadn't fully forgiven the God of Mischief for using him as a pawn, but he knew that would come, in time. Honestly, he wasn't concerned with Erik Selvig's forgiveness just yet; notions of forgiveness and betrayal were blurred in his mind.

"The chocolate guy wants you, goat," Darcy said grumpily, jerking her thumb behind her. Loki regarded her for a moment, finally slipping his arms from around Jane and teleporting out of bed so he wouldn't wake her. Nick Fury hardly left his base unless it was important, and Loki was quick to pick up on the tension emanating from the man. Jerking his head to the side, the God of Mischief stared at the mortal whom he had threatened the first time he entered Midgard.

"Nick Fury. _Such _an honor. What brings you to our humble abode at this hour?"

* * *

**Jane's POV**

The God of Mischief shook his head in response, the familiar hint of mischief and chaos glinting in those viridian orbs of his, causing the astrophysicist to snort, whilst attempting to wriggle away from his firm hold. She tried pushing on his chest with the littlest strength her 'mortal' body could manage, but every single time Jane did, his grasp became even tighter, hauling her small frame against his body and enclosing the one- inch space between them both.

"Cheater," she whispered against his shirt, albeit how she nuzzled closer towards the crook of his neck — the gesture finally signaling the astrophysicist's surrender. Well, at least for the rest of the night. She tried some experimental tugs on her 'bonds', nevertheless, with the God of Mischief abruptly admonishing her with his own series of "no's". Minutes of silence had passed afterwards, and gratefully, sleep took either of them swiftly in its abode.

She woke up with a slight jolt a couple of hours later then (which had seemed only like a few milliseconds for the astrophysicist), a thin sheen of sweat daubed on her forehead as she levered herself from her bed. Two set of eyes focused upon her thereafter, and she had to stifle as gasp when the two figures loomed on top of her. "Jesus Christ. Erik, Darcy! What the heck's going on? Why are you in my room?" she blurted out rather frantically.

"Morning, your Highness," the intern countered, her tone laced with sarcasm and mockery as she flipped the blinds open, allowing the stream of sunlight to cascade over her room. The sun had momentarily burned her eyes, making the astrophysicist flinch a little at the sheer sight of it while her mentor purposively "tsk'd" in the background. "You haven't been sleeping lately, haven't you?" Erik asked, with her eyes opening just in tune when the old man had crossed his arms atop his chest.

"And.. Well the chocolate guy's outside talking to Mr. Grumpy- Guy," her supposed- to- be answer had been deterred by the intern's interjection, and it took Jane several beats to deduce what her assistant had meant. She was onto her feet no more than a second later, dodging Erik's restraining hand (likewise ignoring his protests) and quickly slipping out of her bedroom in a flash. "Loki?" the astrophysicist called.


	4. Chapter 4

**Loki's POV**

Fury's smile was anything but warm, but the trickster hadn't expected them to be 'bosom buddies' after his attempt to take over the realm. In fact, he was more surprised to see the mortal in Puente Antiguo, and asking for _him_ no less. Had Fury asked to see Jane, that would have been more logical. But no. Instead, he was here for Loki, and early in the morning.

"Business," was Fury's curt reply, which earned him a slight rise of the eyebrows from the God of Mischief. Cutting straight to the chase, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. handed Loki a folder, which he opened. The name printed on the paper made him freeze, and a chill slid up and down his back as he read the next words.

_ ~ Impossible._

But the name of Thanos was emblazoned atop the page, with a blurry image of the said being on a square on the left side of the paper. A slew of sightings were listed after that, the most recent being in a town not too far from where they were. Heart pounding, he shut the folder and thrust it back into Fury's hand.

"And you expect me to do something about this."

"The other Avengers are busy with another enemy in Italy: Madam Masque. You're the only one left, and I know you're strong enough to stop him."

On retrospect, Loki didn't know why he didn't tell Nick Fury about Thanos. Admitting that the being was most likely in the realm in search for the trickster who betrayed him would have shown how weak the god was, and it was something he didn't want happening. No, he had no other choice but to deal with this on his own. Thor was in Asgard, nursing what wounds he had from the battle with Malekith – and Jane's decision – rendering him useless in Loki's eyes.

There really was no other alternative.

"Very well. I have one request, however."

"Get on with it, Loki."

"Jane Foster. Whatever happens, you must promise me to keep her safe. Do that, and I shall deal with Thanos myself."

His request came shortly before Jane's voice rang through the area, and both Fury and the God of Mischief turned towards her. With a slight pang, he realized that whatever months he'd had with her were most likely his last. Thanos had promised Loki to long for something as "sweet as death", and it didn't take a lot to know what he had meant by that.

"Here."

He held his hand out towards her, his fingers covering her own as soon as their fingertips touched. Squeezing her hand gently, he gave her a reassuring smile, one that slid off his face the instant he turned towards Fury.

"Do we have an agreement?"

Fury glanced at Jane and then at Loki, before nodding. "We do."

* * *

**Jane's POV**

"We do," the director of S. H. I. E. L. D. muttered under his breath, bobbing his head once in their direction while his unpatched eye rested briefly upon the astrophysicist. There was an odd unspoken thought behind his otherwise weary gaze, and by the way the tension dangled loosely in the atmosphere, Jane knew that something was slightly off-put. Or at least, she understood that much, which, of course, was not enough.

"Is there a thing or two that I need to know?" the astrophysicist asked, arching her brows heavenwards when Darcy's magnificent 'chocolate man' shifted on his heels and turned to look at the God of Mischief with a questioning look. Loki's shoulders rose in a half-shrug, and she frowned at the two's invoiced conversation that they were not utterly willing to share any time soon. It had greatly bothered her, and it did little to soothe such sensation when the silence had ensued among the group.

The intern came stumbling into the scene afterwards, an impish grin latched onto her red- painted lips as she nearly met head- on with their broken-down sofa. Erik followed her shortly in the room, hands on his pockets while he scanned the area — the lines on his forehead appearing whenever his stare would collide with the God of Mischief's. "You need your breakfast Jane," her foster father said, gesturing towards the kitchen where a meal had already been prepared.

Director Fury quickly excused himself then, just as several men-in-black-suits entered the laboratory (without permission, yet again), one of which whispering a palpable 'urgent matter' in his ear before the colonel nodded in attention. He bade his goodbyes to them thereafter, his dark, forbidding form abruptly disappearing from her sight while she watched the black Sedan roll back from the driveway and dissipate under the heat of the sun.

"Coffee's getting cold," Erik pressed on, and seeing no other alternative, the small group retreated to the dining area, save for the intern who was busy taking photos of herself with her supposedly brand- new phone. Loki sat quietly beside her around the table, his fingers grasping a S. H. I. E. L. D.- sealed folder firmly that made her want to.. "What's this?" she murmured, swiftly snatching the file from under his nose without second guessing.

She flipped it open, and was about to read the whole thing out loud when the case surprisingly vanished and dematerialized right in front of the astrophysicist. "It's.. Gone.. Where did it… Loki! Give it back!" she exclaimed in sheer frustration, earning the God a glower from her which was undoubtedly, ineffective (not the first instance, alright). Her foster father immediately reprimanded them with a glare, motioning to the food as he spoke, "Eat."


	5. Chapter 5

**Loki's POV**

Breakfast was, as always, a scene out of a surreal, comical image, but Loki was too engrossed in his thoughts to pay any attention to what was going on between the three Midgardians. He wasn't completely ignorant, however, to allow Jane to slip the folder out of his grasp. His reflexes were quicker than a mortal's, and he had the folder out of sight before she could open it, and he simply regarded her fierce protests with a mild look.

After the meal was through, Loki excused himself from the table and made his way outside, his armor shimmering in the sunlight as it molded around to fit his body. His helmet was conspicuously absent, as a certain intern had 'borrowed' it and took several photographs with it. At first he'd considered taking it from Darcy, but now such trivial matters didn't seem so important. There were other things he needed to think about.

The sun was already high in the sky, and the familiar heat of the New Mexican town was seeping through his bones, though he wouldn't exchange his metal and leather armor for airier clothes. These were the ones he was comfortable in, and no matter how hot he felt, he would still continue wearing the armor even if it killed him.

He knew he'd have to tell her eventually – after all, going away for an extended period was bound to raise questions. It was common knowledge he loathed S.H.I.E.L.D., especially after learning that Phil Coulson – the man whom he speared like a stuck pig – was still alive. As such, he tried to avoid interactions with any of its members, but this issue was far too grievous to be ignored.

Thanos would come for him, that much was certain. But he wanted to make sure that whether he lived or he died, the woman he'd come to love would be safe. He owed her that much, at the very least.

The sound of footsteps echoed behind him: light, yet brisk footsteps, and he knew who it was before he even turned to face her.

* * *

**Jane's POV**

Seeing that there was absolutely no other way out of her current situation, the astrophysicist began to nibble unheedingly on a gigantic piece of buttered bread, forcing the food down her slightly-parched throat as she swallowed it rather strenuously. The God of Mischief, like the usual, finished his morning meal before Jane could even move on to her coffee, quickly excusing himself from them the exact moment he had his plate emptied.

Meanwhile, her foster father had remained like a silent sentinel sitting across Jane — his keen gaze following her every movement as though any instance, the astrophysicist would attempt to flee (well she'd considered that idea a few hundred times). The strange thing was: he, himself, had not touched his breakfast, and whether or not his laconism possessed an underlying purpose, it was more or less terrifying for Jane.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she decided to ask a minute later, gesturing fleetingly towards Erik's plate when she did. His eyes met hers afterwards, and for a brief second, she could have sworn that those ashen orbs he owned flickered and morphed into ghastly blue, making her gasp in response. He then grabbed her wrist rather tightly, and it was only after that particular period did the astrophysicist realize that she had already started to run.

"He is here. He is here," her mentor whispered menacingly in a voice that Jane could not recognize, scaring her out of her wits as she struggled to break loose from his clutches. And to make things worse, her skin, from the very spot where Erik had held her, appeared to change its color — arising out of alabaster to inky ebony. A soft cry escaped her lips thereafter, and she was about to scream when the scene changed back to normal — Erik seated opposite to where she was.

Was it all just… A figment of her imagination? "Aren't you going to finish that?" her foster father motioned to her steaming mug of brewed espresso. The astrophysicist stared at him blankly in surprise, her brows furrowing immediately when she spoke, "I think… I think I'm going to follow Loki outside". She half- walked, half- sprinted towards the sliding, glass door, fortunately finding the God of Mischief quickly than she ever could have envisioned. "Hey. You're leaving?" she muttered under her nearly ragged breathing, casting aside whatever the hell happened inside the lab. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her.. Maybe she just needed some sleep.

Then again. Maybe not. So what else could it be?


End file.
